1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to properly aligning and registering forms in a printer. More particularly it provides a method and structure for use by an operator to achieve automatic alignment of forms.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have been many methods and devices developed to improve alignment of paper and forms in printers. Apparatus and a method of properly inserting paper into a printer were described by Stalzer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,223 issued Jan. 24, 1978. Stalzer provides perforated strips which attach to paper or forms having tractor feed perforations and which guide the leading edge of the paper into the printer. However the strips of Stalzer do not provide for accurate vertical registration of the inserted forms with respect to the printing devices.
Kammerer et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,251,162 issued Feb. 17, 1981 describes a form transport device for guiding the leading edges of a form or set of forms into a printer. Again, the transport device of Kammerer et al. does not provide for accurate vertical registration of the inserted form.
Greenig, U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,199, issued Feb. 16, 1982 describes apparatus which provides for putting a master form on a drum, using laser light to add graphics information to the form and computer logic to further add data, thus generating a composite picture printed with information from three sources. The invention of Greenig uses special purpose equipment not readily available to large numbers of computer printer users.
Greiner, U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,287, issued Jan. 31, 1984, describes a method appropriate for multi-color printing presses in which an optical device detects the location of registration marks on the paper to be printed, and feeds information to a computer which in turn adjusts the registration of the drums which apply color to the paper. Again, the device of Greiner is not applicable for the large variety of computer printers available today.
Budenstein et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,587,812 issued June 28, 1971, describes apparatus for laterally registering forms in a high speed printer
having indicia along one edge of a longitudinally extending bar member . . . Guide means positioned adjacent one end of the registration apparatus cooperate with the paper feed mechanism . . . (Column 3, lines 4-10). PA1 Additional indicia may also be provided along a second edge of the registration apparatus which corresponds to the vertical displacement of individual print characters . . . (Column 3, lines 18-20). PA1 According to the basic concept of the invention, upon actuation of a character key, the carriage is moved relative to the record carrier corresponding to the setting movement associated with the particular character key actuated but without printing the character, and the characters stored in the memory are printed out only upon receipt of a separate instruction signal by reading out the character and position information in the memory and causing the carriage to repeat the stored setting movements under control of the memory. (Fessel, Column 1, line 62 to Column 2, line 4.) PA1 paper that has been preprinted or premarked with two vertical rows of line marks disposed along one edge thereof, each line mark representing a selectable printing line thereon. (Sniderman, abstract.) PA1 scanning means associated with the line printer in cooperation with advancing preprinted line marks serves to detect the arrival of the selected printing line in printing position . . . (Sniderman, Abstract.)
Budenstein et al. also state
Thus Budenstein et al. provide apparatus for assisting the operator. Budenstein et al. do not disclose or suggest, however, a method of automatic vertical forms registration.
Fessel, U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,301 describes a method and structure for registration of forms whereby an operator begins operation by commanding the computer to move the paper into tentative position, then instructs the computer to display on a screen the information to be printed. The operator then adjusts the location of the form before printing. Fessel states
The method and device of Fessel requires that the user observe the location of the print head with respect to the line on the form to be printed in order to properly locate the form in the printer. However, with printers designed so that the location of the print head is difficult to see, the method of Fessel does not easily provide for accurate vertical registration.
Forms having marks for the purpose of lining up the paper in a printer are known. For example, Polko, U.S. Pat. No. 4,066,015, issued Jan. 3, 1978 describes putting a single mark on the edge of the paper. The operator lines up this mark with a mark on the print roll of the printer. Sniderman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,658,163, issued Apr. 25, 1972 also describes
According to Sniderman,
Neither Polko nor Sniderman provide for accurate and automatic vertical registration without special hardware.
Various manufacturers provide forms having a top-of-form indicator mark placed on the form to be lined up with the print head by the operator. Unfortunately in many printers it is difficult to see where the print head will print or to see the top-of-form mark when the paper is in position.
Printers, computers, and software made by different companies will not necessarily designed to work together. The number of these companies is increasing. The technologies involved are continuously and rapidly changing. Any device or method for aligning forms in a printer which is not adaptable to new printers and new forms risks obsolescence.
The prior art methods of aligning forms without the use of specially adapted equipment often waste forms. If the alignment of the form is incorrect when printed, the form is wasted. This is of particular concern when the forms are sequentially numbered as, for example, are invoices and checks. Ruined sequential forms often need special accounting, adding to the cost of the ruined form. And, of course, time spent by an operator aligning the forms to print properly is wasteful and frustrating. A difficulty in aligning forms will likely result in repeated failures and repeated need to void checks or otherwise adjust for errors.
Horizontal alignment of forms in a printer is usually assisted by marks placed on the printer for locating left and right margins or by standard settings of tractor feed bars. However, vertical alignment is more difficult. Printers have no standard indicators for advancing forms to the proper position. Different printers have different settings, and different forms need to be advanced different distances in order to have information placed properly onto the form by the printer. Experience has shown that the correct vertical alignment of a form by an operator is not easy and often counter-intuitive. If a form was misprinted so that the printer has put the characters too high on the preprinted forms, the proper adjustment is to move the paper higher. Many users do not grasp this easily and move the paper in the wrong direction. The next attempt on the same type of form is likely subject to further failure. Such a trial and error method is slow, frustrating, and wasteful. And this trial and error process must be repeated if there is a change in the operator, the printer, or in some cases the form. With the growth of computer use among novices, a better solution to the problem of aligning forms for printing is increasingly necessary.